Although Christmas may officially occur December 25, only one entity celebrates the holiday season from the summer to the winter months: the Hallmark movie network. With holiday films premiering as early as July, Hallmark curates that perfect, cozy winter feeling even against the harsh summer sun rays. Throughout Hallmark’s holiday movie reign, the films present audiences with comfort and ease during the stresses that the end of a year presents. Despite their calming nature, Hallmark’s movies still receive negative renown for their cheesy plotlines and dialogue riddled with clichés. While Hallmark movies can reap albeit corny one-liners or predictable endings, the consistency and inclusivity that these movies provide to fans allows them to reach any heart anywhere, even to those of Christmas Scrooges.
Critics claim that the nature of Hallmark movies comes off as cheesy or predictable due to the overuse of certain tropes and the repetitiveness of the storylines. Hallmark movies tend to use the same format for their movies: boy meets girl, they fall in love, girl fights with boy, boy apologizes and happily ever after. While each film diversifies the characteristics of its plotlines, the core of Hallmark films fails to falter, leaving audiences yearning above what the scriptwriters at Hallmark could reach.
“My favorite part about them [Hallmark movies] is they are all the same, the same plot and everything, so it’s funny seeing all the same movies over and over. I would rewatch them because I find the movies entertaining. People should watch them [Hallmark movies] during [the] holiday season because the main type of movies they produce are Christmas movies. I don’t necessarily think that all holiday movies are cheesy, but I would definitely say that Hallmark ones are. They have the same plot every time just with different actors. I think this makes it more of a fun Holiday ‘activity’ than anything else because nobody really takes the movies seriously,” magnet freshman Elise Gallant said.
However, within the throes of Hallmark’s monotonous storylines, that consistency creates the network’s comforting nature. The pattern of Hallmark films allows fans to know what to expect once they turn on the channel. Audiences become accustomed to similar types of holiday movies, granting them a priceless fortune denied in the current times: consistency. The steady stream of content from the Holly Jolly channel provides a haven for audiences who search for a constant smile to brighten their days.
An economic upside to the Hallmark Christmas empire lies in the job stability the network provides its actors. The harsh impact on the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) and Writers Guild of America (WGA) strikes highlighted the inconsistencies and instability of the entertainment industry and brought concerns regarding the monetary benefits provided to actors from the projects they participate in. Job security lies as a luxury for a plethora of actors due to the shifty nature of booking different projects to act in for a prolonged period. Fortunately, for the band of actors underneath the Hallmark holiday umbrella, a dependant job always lies within reach.
When actors appear on Hallmark for wholesome films filled with yuletide and care, TV connoisseurs meet them with reactions fit for a funeral due to the belief that once an actor appears on the network, his or her career has died. This stereotype against the merry movies mirrors the same prejudice placed on actors in long-form soap operas such as “The Bold and the Beautiful” or “The Young and the Restless.” Naysayers fail to realize that in place of blockbuster hits, Hallmark and soap opera actors own an aspect of the entertainment industry that remains obscure for several: stability.
Hallmark features a series of recurring actors in several of their projects, mixing and matching them into different couples to tell different stories. For example, the Canadian-American actor Niall Matter has starred in 24 Hallmark films despite only joining the franchise in 2016. Veteran actors such as Ryan Paevey, Trevor Donovan and Rick Fox have also appeared on the network, despite also starring in other acclaimed television and film projects. Since her premiere on the channel in 2010, Hallmark’s unofficial leading lady, actress Lacey Chabert, has acted in over 30 movies for the network after her breakout role in the critically acclaimed hit movie, “Mean Girls.” To further augment the monetary benefits of acting in Hallmark films, according to USWorkforce.com, Hallmark actors can reap between $50,000 and $200,000 on each film they star in, with the highest extent of pay reaching $1 million.
While Hallmark movies harbor a predominant focus on Christmas, the channel has also produced films pertaining to other prominent holidays during the wintertime. For example, the channel has recently released a slew of films centered around Hanukkah, under titles such as “Round and Round” and “Hanukkah on Rye.” After a handful of projects that catered to Hanukkah and the Jewish faith to a Christian audience, these recent movies represented the cultures in these stories through an authentic and genuine lens, with Jewish actors portraying Jewish characters. In 2022, Hallmark released its first movie centered around Kwanzaa titled “Holiday Heritage,” which follows Lyndie Greenwood’s character trying to motivate her family members to observe both Kwanzaa and Christmas during the holiday season.
Above all else, Hallmark films serve one devoted purpose: to spread holiday cheer. Whether audiences find amusement in the hilarious side quests characters embark on or they find solace in knowing the main characters will share a kiss under the mistletoe at the movie’s end, the consistent kindness found in Hallmark films positively alters the mindset of audiences as their holiday festivities progress. The inclusive humor and sweet intentions behind these films prompt them as content for families to indulge in together as they snuggle by the fireplace. Through all the snowfalls, gingerbreads and over-the-top ugly sweaters, Hallmark movies uniquely create a gentle realm of television seldom found in other entertainment spheres.
“My favorite attributes of Hallmark movies are kind of like what makes them cliche. I like the happy ending. I like knowing that after the movie is over, everything is going to end up great and that the main characters are going to be happy. I think I keep watching them because I find comfort in knowing that things are going to be okay and that you can watch them for an hour and a half and also know that the couple is gonna end up together or that the woman is going to end up happy,” magnet American Literature teacher Alexandra Yeganegi said.
